Dami's pov:
All of the others had left and Dami waited for her wife in the entrance hall. She still wondered how Y/n was suddenly able to send her thoughts. Usually, they were able to hear each other's thoughts when strong emotions were involved but they needed to be close to each other or at least in the same room so how was Y/n able to do it?
"It never worked when she tried it before." Dami thought as she walked up and down the giant hall.
"Dami?" A quiet voice interrupted her and she turned around just to see a very shy Felix.
He held a pouch in his hand and seemed to be insecure while he avoided eye contact. In moments like this, he acted like Y/n would. They both were insecure when an important conversation was ahead of them but they would not back away from it. Dami knew what she had to do. She let Felix do the first step like she would do with her wife. After some time the boy finally spoke.
"I was back at the cathedral with Handong and I had time to gather the remains of your father. I know this won't bring him back but I hope this will help you find comfort." Felix held out the hand with the pouch so Dami could grab it.
"You didn't need to do this." Dami pointed out as she grabbed the pouch.
Of course, she was flattered by his gesture. He seemed to be as kind as Y/n.
"You are wrong. I needed to bring him back to you. All of him so you can say goodbye. I couldn't leave him in this cathedral." Felix replied.
"Thank you, Felix." Dami smiled and pulled him into a tight hug.
The hug lasted for a few moments and when Dami pulled back she could see the hint of a smile on Felix's face.
"I'm glad that you are part of this family now. I have to admit I was skeptical at first but now I can see how kind and loyal you are. I'm sure Y/n and your grandfather are proud of you." Dami said.
"Thank you. This means a lot to me." Felix replied as he bowed a little.
After that, he said goodbye and left. It was true. Dami was glad that Felix was part of her family. He was like a little brother. Now the Vampire girl was alone and again she could feel the sadness in her heart as she looked at the pouch in her hand.
"At least you are no longer at this godforsaken place," Dami mumbled.
"I'm sorry that you had to wait, baby." Y/n's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"No worries, darling," Dami replied as she turned around.
"What is that?" Y/n asked and pointed at the pouch in Dami's hand.
The Werewolf girl looked curious as she frowned her brow.
"Felix brought me the rest of my father's ash. He and Handong were back at the cathedral and he thought it would be best to bring him home." The red-haired girl explained.
"That was nice of him. Do you want to bring him over to your parent's house? I mean we have time and I don't mind." Y/n said with a soft smile as her hand reached out for Dami's.
The warmth of Y/n's skin made the Vampire girl feel safe and relaxed. For a moment she drowned in her wife's clear eyes before she snapped out of it.
"That would be lovely," Dami replied and they exited the house together.
Y/n opened the car door for Dami so the Vampire girl was able to slip in and sit down in the driver's seat. The strong smell of vanilla entered Dami's lungs as she took a few deep breaths. It was the air freshener Y/n had in her car and the smell reminded Dami always of the first time they spend in the car. It was right after their wedding and Y/n was so introverted and repellent back then but now a lot of things have changed and the Werewolf girl wasn't so closed up anymore.
"So what did the Alpha want to talk about with you?" Dami asked as Y/n got in the car as well.
"About the Alpha title." The Werewolf girl replied but it didn't seem that she wanted to go into detail with it.
"What did you say? Are you accepting?" Dami turned on the engine and started to drive.
Y/n sighed but didn't say anything. That was typical Y/n behavior. If the Werewolf girl wasn't ready to talk about it she would just don't say anything. Dami was used to it but thanks to their soulmate connection Y/n didn't have to say anything. The feeling was deep in Dami's heart and she knew exactly what it was that bothered Y/n.
"I understand and it is fine. You don't have to do it if you're not ready." Dami pointed out as she placed her hand on Y/n's thigh.
"You don't think I'm a coward?" Y/n mumbled.
"No, you put mental health first and I think that is brave of you. You know about your weakness and just need to figure out a way to handle so much responsibility before you accept. Admitting a weakness is hard but you did and I'm proud of you. I'm proud that you work on yourself." Dami squeezed her wife's leg a little to make sure Y/n understand that she did the right thing.
"If you say so." The Werewolf girl mumbled and she seemed to be sad.
"Baby, stop dragging yourself down. Promise me to not think about it anymore." Dami said.
She knew damn well Y/n would overthink the situation and the last thing they needed right now was a panic attack.
"I promise," Y/n replied half-heartedly as she stared out of the window.
"Oh no, you have to give me a pinky swear." The Vampire girl chuckled and lifted the hand that was resting on her wife's leg and held out her pinky.
A soft chuckle left Y/n's mouth and she intertwined her pinky with Dami's.
"I promise to not think about the Alpha thing too much," Y/n swore.
The Werewolf girl released Dami's finger but she immediately wrapped both of her hands around Dami's palm and rested them on her own leg.
"Good," Dami replied as she drove down the road.
Soon they reached the house of Dami's parents and the Vampire girl parked the car near the entrance. Both girls stepped out of the car and made their way to the front door. Y/n's warm hand slipped into Dami's and for a moment everything seemed to be alright. Just the fact that Dami carried her father's ash dragged her mood down.
"How is your mom?" Y/n suddenly asked as she opened the door for her wife.
"I don't know she doesn't talk with me about it," Dami admitted and stepped into the big mansion.
"Maybe we should stay here for a few days to make sure she is fine," Y/n suggested.
"It is sweet of you to worry about my mom but I think she would prefer to be alone." The Vampire girl pointed out and grabbed Y/n's hand again.
Y/n's pov:
You reached the backyard and stepped out. The wind softly dragged on your clothes as Dami guided you to the spot where she buried her father. You could feel the grief in your wife's heart as she started to dig a hole with a tiny shovel. Soon it was big enough and it was time to pour the ash in. Dami seemed to hesitate so you kneeled down next to her.
"Do you want me to do it?" You asked softly as some tears rolled down her cheeks.
Your wife wasn't able to speak so she just nodded. Without another word, you grabbed the pouch from her hands and poured the remains of your wife's father into the hole.
"Farewell, Mr. Lee. Please send us a light that guides us through the dark times that are ahead of us." You said and closed the hole with dirt again.
Meanwhile, Dami had sat down and hugged her knees while she watched you. After you were finished you joined her side. You placed your arm around her waist and let her head rest on your shoulder. Silent tears streamed out of her eyes as you held her. Dark clouds filled the sky as you sat beside each other. There was this smell in the air that told you that it will rain soon. It would be better to go inside but it seemed that Dami didn't want to leave.
"I will give her all the time she needs to cope with this. I know how hard it is to lose a parent and I need to support her right now." You thought as you let your free hand play with Dami's fingers.
"How were you able to send me your thoughts earlier?" Dami's quiet voice cut through the silence all so suddenly.
Of course, you were confused.
"What are you talking about?" You asked back.
"Back at the Alpha's mention when you talked with your grandfather you told me not to worry." Dami pulled back a little to look at you.
"I did nothing like that." You replied.
"Yes, you did. I heard you. Your voice was in my head. I was scared that something could change between us once you would be the Alpha and then you grabbed my hand and told me not to worry." The Vampire girl looked deep into your eyes.
"I didn't do anything. I talked with my grandfather and that was it." You could see the worry on Dami's face.
"No that is not true. I could feel your hand, Y/n. It was like a part of you was there." Dami seemed to be desperate.
"I'm sorry but-" You started.
"No, Y/n. I didn't just imagine that. You were there." Dami raised her voice and stood up.
"Am I crazy? Am I so much in grief that I can't tell what's right or wrong anymore? Do I start to hallucinate?" You heard your wife's thoughts in your head as she started to panic.
"Hey baby, calm down." You said and stood up as well but when you tried to grab her hand she wiggled herself out of your grip.
"Am not insane, Y/n." Dami cried.
Dami felt insecure, sad, angry, and scared all at the same time and you could feel the mix of her emotions in your chest like they were your own. The panic that filled her eyes looked familiar and you know she was close to a mental breakdown. You needed to calm her down but you didn't know how so you told her the first thing that came to your mind.
"Yubin listen, I believe you. I would never think that you are insane. The past days were hard and maybe they triggered one of your visions, alright? Maybe you saw the future." You said softly as you tried to reach out for her again.
"No, it was different. I could feel your energy. I could feel the warmth of your hand and the sound of your voice filled my head. It was like you stood in front of me but when I looked up you were not there." Dami sniffed as she let you pull her in a tight hug.
You held her as she mumbled 'You were there' over and over again.
"Then it must be your soul connection. Nothing to worry about." You said after a while and pulled back.
Dami didn't seem to be convinced.
"There is a lot on your mind right now and I want you to know that I believe you. When you say that I was there then I was there even if I didn't do anything." You assured her.
She nodded and brushed the tears away from her face.
"Maybe we should lay down a little. You didn't get much sleep the past few nights." You suggested and guided her back to the house.
Dami followed you as brown leaves danced through the air. The wind will carry them somewhere else. A place far away from all this pain and confusion that was inside of your wife's heart.
Later:
Mrs. Lee's pov:
The past few days were just awful. Everything reminded her of her husband. Sometimes she even could smell his perfume and it seemed that it followed her everywhere. The slight glimpse of her husband's scent always made her eyes tear up. She would never forget his soft voice and the way he came to her office just to say that he loved her. It was true that she was often rude to him but she never loved someone more and his loss made her heart ache. Now that he was gone she started to miss his cute giggles and the romantic gestures he always made. They would never eat lunch on a Saturday together. He would never bring her flowers again and she will never hear his voice again.
"I miss you so much, Darling." She mumbled as her fingers wrapped around his wedding ring.
The golden jewelry looked like no one ever touched it and it was all because he never wore it. He said it was too precious to wear and he will keep it safe so he had placed it in a jewelry box. It never left the spot on his desk in the office until the day he died. Now his wife would carry it with her every second of the day. Maybe it will help her get rid of the pain and sadness.
It was in the middle of the night but she wasn't able to sleep. The grief and sadness kept her up so she strolled around the house but it didn't help. Everything reminded her of the love she lost. As quietly as she could she walked past her daughter's room to not wake her. Dami and her wife spent the night in the mansion and Mrs. Lee was glad about it. Knowing that someone was around made her feel a little less sad although both girls must already be asleep.
"I'm glad that Yubin has a shoulder to cry on. I hope Y/n can help her get over this." Mrs. Lee thought.
The darkness accompanied her as she walked down the stairs and into the living room. She turned on the light and the room got illuminated. Her gaze immediately wandered to the sideboard on the left where pictures of her family were placed and a picture of her wedding hung above it on the wall. It was huge and she couldn't look away from her dead husband's face. He had smiled into the camera. The black smoking made him appear very handsome and the memory of that day made her eyes water.
"We didn't want to get married but somehow we made it work. We fell in love just like Yubin and Y/n did. You made me realize what love is." Mrs. Lee mumbled as she looked at the picture of her husband holding her tight.
At this point, she wasn't able to hold her tears back and let them fall to the floor as loud sobs filled the large room. How was she supposed to survive this heartbreak?
A little earlier:
Y/n's pov:
You stared at the ceiling and thought about the thing Dami told you. Was it true? Were you really there and if so how was it possible? Your soul tie was strong but could it be strong enough so you were able to send your energy to her without even witnessing any of it? It sounded impossible.
"But us being soulmates also sounded impossible at first and look at us now." You thought as you drew small circles on Dami's back.
Her head rested on your shoulder and you both lay in the comfortable bed. The room was silent and only your wife's soft breaths could be heard. She had fallen asleep a while ago and you were glad that she finally was able to rest. You know that she had cried herself to sleep and it was hard for you to watch her. Every tear that rolled down her beautiful face made you feel her pain. After the moment in the backyard, you finally understood how Dami must feel like when you had a panic attack. You had felt so helpless and all you wanted to do was to help her.
"I wish I would be able to help you better. I suck to find the right words and give you a little comfort but I will help you get through this. I will be at your side. Forever." You mumbled as you brushed through her soft hair.
Ironically you had had to pee so you moved away from her. You placed her head softly on the pillow and pressed a swift kiss to her lips before you left. After you did your business you walked back to Dami's room. Tierdly you rubbed your eyes and already reached for the door handle when you heard some noise from the lower floor.
"What was that?" You whispered and quietly walked down the stairs.
Now that you were closer to the source of the noise you realized that it was someone crying. It could only be Dami's mother and you wanted to enter the room when you remembered your wife's words.
"Dami said she would prefer to be alone." You thought but you hesitated to walk back to Dami's room.
How could you leave the crying woman alone? Your instinct to help kicked in and you entered the room after a few deep breaths. Mrs. Lee's head immediately snapped in your direction as you shyly smiled at her.
Mrs. Lee's pov:
Dami's wife stood in the doorframe and looked a little scared in her direction. The Werewolf girl avoided eye contact and nervously played with her fingers. Mrs. Lee quickly brushed away the tears from her face.
"Y/n, I didn't know you were still up." The Vampire replied.
"I couldn't sleep and when I walked back from the bathroom I heard some noise," Y/n explained. I got curious and I'm sorry if I disturb you."
"No, please come in. I would like some company." Mrs. Lee forced herself to smile.
The Werewolf girl hesitantly stepped into the room. Dami must've lent her some clothes since the sweatpants Y/n wore were a little short and the sleeves of the shirt stretched around Y/n's muscular upper arms.
"I wish I could say that it's getting better and that it will be over in a few days but that is a lie. You will carry the pain for a long time." Y/n suddenly said as she examined some old pictures of Dami as a child.
"I know it will take time." Mrs. Lee replied.
Y/n grabbed a picture to have a closer look and a small smile appeared on her face.
"That was her sixth birthday. We were lucky and it rained the whole day so we could do her favorite thing." Mrs. Lee explained as she sat down on the couch watching the Werewolf. " She always loved to go to the park with her father so we grabbed our rainproof coats and walked around the flowers she likes so much until our clothes were completely soaked but Yubin was so happy."
She knew exactly what picture Y/n was holding. It showed a tiny Dami in a light blue raincoat. A daffodil in her hair as water dripped down from it. The smile Dami had on her face always managed to cheer Mrs. Lee up. Needless to say, it was Mrs. Lee's favorite picture of her daughter. Dami was so happy that day but now all the happiness seemed to be taken away.
"She must've had a lovely childhood." Y/n pointed out as she placed the picture back on the shelf.
"I'm not so sure about it. I was a cruel mother sometimes. I was so occupied with work that I was not able to create a loving relationship with her and I regret it. I should've been home more often and I should've spent more time with her when she was a child but I made the mistake to burden everything on my husband." Mrs. Lee pointed out as Y/n strolled around the room.
She seemed to be interested in the art that hang on the wall and inspected every piece.
"It's a shame that we can't turn back time. I think we all have moments we want to change." The Werewolf girl said.
"How is she holding up?" Mrs. Lee asked and looked down at her feet.
"She didn't sleep much the past few nights. She is sad and cries a lot but the worst thing is the void in her heart. I can feel how much she loved her father. I can feel the pain in her heart and how the void tries to swallow her. It is so painful to watch her. I wish I could take the pain away from her but I can't even find the right words to comfort her." Y/n said. "Usually it is the other way around. She is the strong one and helps me get through my emotional phases. She knows exactly what to say when I have a panic attack or when I feel down. I feel so useless and the only thing I can do is watch her suffer."
"You are her soulmate and the only one that truly understands how she feels. Just listen to your heart and it will tell you what to do or say." Mrs. Lee advised.
"I must be egoistic to talk about me right now and I'm sorry but I need to figure out a way to help Dami. This whole situation is so hard for her that she even started to hallucinate. I don't know how to deal with that." Y/n explained.
The Werewolf girl turned around and Mrs. Lee saw the tears that filled Y/n's eyes.
"Hallucinate?" The Vampire asked and started to worry.
Y/n's pov:
After you sat down beside Dami's mother you told her what Dami witnessed. Mrs. Lee listened to you and frowned her brows.
"It almost sounds like you have an energetic connection with her but that is impossible unless she bit you." Mrs. Lee explained.
"What is an energetic connection?" You asked curiously.
"The connection gets created when a Vampire bites someone else. Some energy is based in the victim's blood and when the Vampire sucks it out of the body, they consume it as well. That's why most Vampires prefer blood capsules. The blood in these capsules is older and the energy already has faded away." Dami's mother explained. "Did Yubin bite you? It didn't have to be a real bite. It could also happen when her fangs came in contact with your blood."
"No Dami didn't bite me but I gave her my blood to drink back at the cathedral." You replied.
"That must be the reason. She drank the blood directly from your body and consumed your energy as well and since you already have such a strong soul connection it must've boosted the energy connection." Mrs. Lee said.
"Will it go away?" You asked.
"Don't worry it should be over in a few days but I think it is just what Yubin needs right now. You can be here for her in these hard times even when you are not at her side." Dami's mother smiled.
"I wish I could do more. I wasn't there when she needed me the most." You explained.
"Nonsense, I heard what you did in the cathedral for Yubin and for my husband and I have to thank you. You gave everything to save them and that was enough. You were amazing." Dami's mother placed her hand on your forearm. "You saved my daughter and even let her drink your blood. You carried my husband with a broken arm to savety."
"I'm sorry that I wasn't fast enough. I'm sorry about your loss." You apologized and avoided eye contact.
Suddenly you were pulled into a tight hug. The embrace was comfortable and you also wrapped your arms around the other woman.
"You don't have to be sorry. You showed everyone how brave you are. I'm glad that Yubin has such a protective and loving wife." Mrs. Lee said.
"Thank you." You mumbled back and slowly let go of the older woman. "But is still have a lot to learn and maybe one day I will be as wise as the Alpha."
"You are already wise. Just in another way. Believe me when I say there are a lot of older Vampires that could use a little bit of your foresight and wisdom." The Vampire chuckled and it seemed that she forget about her grief for a moment.
"Do you think?" You asked shyly.
"Sure. I might be over 500 years old but you and Yubin taught me a lot of things." Mrs. Lee replied.
"You Vampires are killing me with your age." You chuckled.
"Yubin must tell you how old she is. Does it make you insecure?" Dami's mother asked.
"No, I'm impressed but I think Dami must think I'm naive because of my age. I mean I'm not even third yet and she is almost a century old. I must be a child in her eyes." You admitted.
"I don't think so. I even believe that she is impressed by you." The Vampire explained and you noticed that she was holding your hand the whole time since you sat down. "You inspire her and everyone around you. You have this aura around you. People like you because you are kind and ready to help in any situation. You would protect your wife and family with your life and that is why people look up to you. Even Yubin does. For her, you are an inspiration. That is what soulmates should do. Inspire, protect, and love each other and I'm sure you both do that for each other. You and Yubin are meant to be together."
"I know all of this but my mind sometimes plays tricks on me. It tells me that I'm no good and all of this is hopeless but Dami made me discover something. She makes me realize that I'm loved and that I'm important. She told me that I bring to this world things no one else can and I hold on to her words when I feel down. I remind myself of this every time my anxiety takes over." You explained.
"You two will find a way through all the hard times like me and my husband did but now I think it is time for you to rest a little." Mrs. Lee said and let go of your hand.
You nodded and stood up. Somehow you were able to comfort Dami's mother a little and she helped you as well but there was still something on your mind you needed to tell the other woman so before you stepped out of the living room you turned around.
"You know what my mother once told me?" You asked and Mrs. Lee once again looked at you.
"No." She said.
"Our memory is like a window. We can see our loved ones whenever we want to." You said.
For a moment it was silent in the room and you saw the tears that build in Mrs. Lee's eyes.
"He is still with you. Your heart will never forget a single memory about him." You added after a while.
"Thank you, Y/n." Dami's mother said as tears streamed down her face.
"Good night." You replied and bowed a little before you left.
Author's note:
Hello lovely readers, it has been a long time since I updated this. I added one quote in this chapter that helped me through some hard times. Of course, I changed it a little so it fitted in the conversation. Can you guess what it is?